Woh Humsafar Tha (He was my companion)
So this is not a senti post but about
some fabulous Pakistani shows and ghazals (songs) I have been immersed in recently.
Let me start off the mood by asking
you to listen to this song- again on constant replay for me.
Don't go by the video (- it's from a
show I will discuss immediately after) but listen to the voice and the words.
The original for this song was by a
very famous Pakistani Ghazal singer- Abida Parveen - her version was deeply
classical- have included that too. The original version was not romantic but
about the separation of the Pakistan and the now Bangladesh
I have included the lyrics for the TV
show version- they are just so poignant. Finding translations on the web, I have edited
them to reflect the meaning and sentiment behind it rather than a literal grammatical
translation as in that the beauty of the song gets lost most times
These are times when I really really
wish I knew Urdu. It is probably the most beautiful and lyrical and poetic
language ever. The manners implicit - or the Urdu word "tehzeb" it so
attractive.
The song from the show
Abida Parveen's version
WOH HUMSAFAR THA- LYRICS
Tarq-e-taaluqaat pe...
At our parting of ways,
Roya na tu, na main
Roya na tu, na main
Neither you cried nor I,
Lekin yeh kya ke chain se soya na tu, na main
Lekin yeh kya ke chain se soya na tu, na main
But then, what's this that
neither you nor I slept peacefully
Woh humsafar tha....
He
was my companion (fellow traveler)…..
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Woh humsafar thaa magar us sey
humnawai na thi…
He was my companion but
with him I didn’t have like mindedness (harmony)
Woh humsafar thaa magar us sey
humnawai na thi…
He was my companion but
with him I didn’t have like mindedness (harmony)
Kay dhoop chaaon ka…..
With the (hot) sunshine and shade
Kay dhoop chaaon ka aalam raha
With the (hot) sunshine and shade was
world was filled
Judai na thi…
There was no separation
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Adaavatein theen..Taghaaful thaa, Ranjishein theen Magar..
There was animosity,
Indifference and anguish but,
Adaavatein theen..Taghaaful
thaa, Ranjishein theen Magar..
There was animosity,
Indifference and anguish but,
Bicharne walay main sab kuch thaa
The one who I was parted
with had everything (but)
Bewafai na thi…
He didn't have
unfaithfullness
Bicharne walay main sab kuch thaa
The one who I was parted
with had everything (but)
Bewafai na thi…
He didn't have
unfaithfullness
Kay dhoop chaaon ka…..
With the (hot) sunshine and shade
Kay dhoop chaaon ka aalam raha
With the (hot) sunshine and shade was
world was filled
Judai na thi…
There was no separation
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Kaajal daaro
Put kohl
kurkura surma Saha na jaaye
The graininess of the kohl
is tough to bear
Jin Nain mein pee bassay
Jin Nain mein pee bassay
In the eyes that hold my
beloved
Dooja kon samaaye
Dooja kon samaaye
Who else can be beheld
Bicharte waqt un ankhon mein thi hamari ghazal
Bicharte waqt un ankhon mein thi hamari ghazal
At the time of parting his
eyes had my song
Bicharte waqt un ankhon mein thi hamari ghazal
Bicharte waqt un ankhon mein thi hamari ghazal
At the time of parting his
eyes had my song
Ghazal bhi wo jo kisi ko kabhi sunai na thi
Ghazal bhi wo jo kisi ko kabhi sunai na thi
And it was the song that I
had never sung aloud
Ghazal bhi wo jo kisi ko kabhi sunai na thi
Ghazal bhi wo jo kisi ko kabhi sunai na thi
And it was the song that I
had never sung aloud
Kay dhoop chaaon ka…..
With the (hot) sunshine and shade
Kay dhoop chaaon ka aalam raha
With the (hot) sunshine and shade was
world was filled
Judai na thi…
There was no separation
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
Woh humsafar tha....
He was my companion …
I think a truly interesting read,
watch about a love story is when there is pining- and unrequited love- due to
internal or external forces
Though of course that is probably not
what one wants in real life. I think is it the thought of what could have been.
If you see any really famous love story- always tragic. I think when something
ends happily- it's not as interesting or memorable and frankly doesn’t excite
one's emotions
I got familiar with this song from
the Show "Humsafar"
which is a Pakistani TV series. Quite heavy but still interesting. The story is basically about protagonists who are forced into an arranged marriage and how they deal with it. Lots of plotting twists and turns and plotting. 6.5/10
Now Pakistani TV shows are a beast of
a different nature altogether from both US shows and Indian shows.
They are unlike soaps but normally
based on thoughtful novels and don’t get dragged on and on and on.
The story line is all there before the
show starts so the character definitions and pace all reflect that. They
normally have a certain number of episodes planned and they stick to that.
Also- they normally are not inane.
Sometimes a bit too heavy but the characters are rich and not uni-dimensional
but with many facets.
If you know Hindi/ Urdu- I would
encourage you to try it- the first 2-3 episodes are really quite heavy but it's
get pretty good.
So after watching this show I googled
everything about it and was surprised to find that the lead, Fawad Afzal Khan was actually part of the one Pakistani movie I have
seen- which again was fabulous- " Khuda Kay Liye". The story is about the lives, choices and experiences of two brothers who grow up in Pakistan in a liberal, musical family; but they make very different life decisions. 8/10
Now - in India and in the US I think
we have this view of Pakistan as a very radically Islamic country and while that
may be true for some of the populace I don’t think it's true for a lot of the
country. They are what we think of as normal rational people who think like we
do.
The movie was nominated for a bunch
of awards- if you can get a subtitled version- it's there on Netflix but not
for streaming. I have to say- I DID not like the absolute ending- but will not
make it s spoiler- one of my pet peeves is when someone gives away the plot of
a story.
( a slight digression but I have to
include a poem about this- one of my favorite poems)
At the Theatre: To the Lady Behind Me - by A P Herbert
Dear Madam, you have seen this play;
I never saw it till today.
I never saw it till today.
You know the details of the plot,
But, let me tell you, I do not.
The author seeks to keep from me
The murderer's identity,
And you are not a friend of his
If you keep shouting who it is.
The actors in their funny way
Have several funny things to say,
But they do not amuse me more
If you have said them just before;
The merit of the drama lies,
I understand, in some surprise;
But the surprise must now be small
Since you have just foretold it all.
The lady you have brought with you
Is, I infer, a half-wit too,
But I can understand the piece
Without assistance from your niece.
In short, foul woman, it would suit
Me just as well if you were mute;
In fact, to make my meaning plain,
I trust you will not speak again.
And—-may I add one human touch?—-
Don't breathe upon my neck so much.
I have included this really nice song
from the movie. Have a listen
Bandya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU2xnJF3rBY
So this guy, Fawad, is currently
quite the heartthrob in Pakistan and one can see why.
What's interesting- is that he is
good looking and attractive but then suddenly will be really creepy!!! Though I
do think he is one of the better actors I have seen in a while
So while googling him and his shows I
came across one ( and of course watched 17 episodes in 2 days) which I LOVE!!!!!!
Zindagi
Gulzar Hai-( Life is
garden of Flowers.)
This is an ongoing show and it is
really really good
It has it all- romance, interesting
characters, women's lib, cinderella-ish story, growth in people. Its about a guy and girl (Duh- obviously) The Guy is from a liberated upper class family. He has all the luxuries but questions the lifestyle around him. The girl is from a lower middle family who has to struggle for the basic necessities in life but she is very very strong willed. 8/10- so far!!!
What's also interesting for me is
that I seriously disagree with a lot of the themes- messages in the movie-
which are called and are actually quite chauvinistic and too traditional, but it's
still interesting to watch. It's like reading about something you would not
want for yourself but interesting to watch.
The lead actress, Sanam Saeed, is an unusual choice. Very good- plays a traditional
girl form a poor background and does a very good job of it. You would never
guess she grew up in London!!
Also- the clothes you see the upper
class wearing in the show- they are not what I thought people in Pakistan wore-
shows my tendency to stereo type!!
Here's the title song from it
While writing this blog I discovered
this song was sung by one of my favorite singers Ali Zafar. More about him later
It's interesting- Till I started
writing this blog- I never realized how much culture crossed over from Pakistan
for me- I always thought it was more of a one way transfer with Bollywood
influences on Pakistan. I guess we were one country and if, like me, you don't
have any biases for people because of their religion- you really gain a lot!
I mean when I have met Pakitstanis, it
has felt no different from meeting an Indian but unfortunately its still different when I think
of the Pakistan as a country vs India as a country
So enjoy!
And do give feedback- comments,
emails. When I didn't write for a while a few of you commented- I love writing
but it’s really encouraging to hear from readers!
